Nokia Oyj has started deliveries of its first touch-screen phone, the 5800 XpressMusic, the mobile phone maker's answer to Apple's iPhone.

Nokia said on Thursday the phone will be, available in selected markets globally, including Russia, Spain, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Finland.

Nokia said last month the model will cost 279 euros ($360) before operator subsidies and taxes, substantially less than the iPhone.

Spurred by Apple, LG and Samsung have already rolled out touch-screen phones over the last two years, mostly in developed markets.

Aiming to put music into the hands of millions, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic offers all the music essentials including a graphic equalizer, 8GB memory for up to 6000 tracks, support for all main digital music formats, and a 3.5mm jack. Built-in surround sound stereo speakers offer the industry's most powerful sound.

The phone's touch screen technology offers easy access to all music, video and photos through a one-touch 'Mediabar' drop down menu. The Media Bar also offers a direct link to the Web and to online sharing. The phone also supports Flash content during browsing on the web.

The 'Contacts Bar' lets people highlight four favorite contacts on their home-screen and, through a touch, track a digital history of recent text messages, emails, phone logs, photos and blog updates.

The phone's 3.2" widescreen display supports 30 frames-per-second playback and recording. The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic also features a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens and, with a single touch, images or videos can be shared via online communities, such as Share on Ovi, Flickr, or Facebook.

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic supports 60 languages and offers a variety of input methods including a virtual alphanumeric keypad, a virtual computer-style QWERTY keyboard, a pen stylus -- and for true music enthusiasts, a plectrum -- are all available.